Pivotal Productions Launches on Staten Island

Staten Island, just a 30 minute ferry ride away from Manhattan, may be to some just a small island. However, this “small” island is offering up big options with entertainment especially when it comes to the arts venues. Luner on Theatre is happy to bring you news of a new theatre company about to make its mark on Staten Island. Say hello to the newest arts venue about to make it’s way to Staten Island, Pivotal Productions.

Pivotal Productions is a brand new theatre company created by Billy Aberle and Chris Sabol. Their mission statement reads as the following;

Pivotal Productions is a non-profit education theatre outlet that serves as an avenue for artistic discovery by means of apprenticeship. Students interested in both the industry and artistic aspects of theatre play integral roles in the organization. We strive to bring traditional musical and non-musical practices to the Staten Island arts community. We are an educational tool for students as an entrance in an industry known for its exclusivity.

Sabol (Left) & Aberle (Right)

While Pivotal Productions is launching in February 2013, this was an idea we discovered started back in September 2011. We found this out after getting to sit down with founder Billy Aberle to talk exclusively to him regarding his new theatre company. “It was just a thought”, Aberle says as he thinks on where to begin about Pivotal Productions. A thought that came out of the Student Run Musical Theatre organization Aberle and Sabol had started on the Wagner College Campus back in 2010. The idea, which started as a suggestion, has grown into a real life project you can tell Aberle is not only excited to launch but to work on for quite some time in the near future.

So what exactly makes Pivotal Productions different from any other theatre company on Staten Island? The answer is Community, Education and Tradition. These pillars are not only the foundation for Pivotal, but the three factors that make this company so unique. Community in the sense that Pivotal choose Staten Island as their home base. Manhattan, just across New York harbor, is home to hundreds of theatre companies. Education comes in where Pivotal will eventually offer internships to high school and college students in “any field possible”. Thats right, students interested in music direction, directing, public relations and more will be able to obtain internships through Pivotal Productions. And finally tradition which comes in the the traditional practices Pivotal wants to abide by. “Traditional practices” in the sense of the theatre experience. Aberle enjoys where technology has taken theatre but also misses a sense of a realness that comes with these productions. Pivotal aims to fill their pits with instruments not synthesizers and decorate stages with real physical sets as opposed to projects. “It’s just actual people using their time and effort”.

Pivotal Productions is currently finalizing all their details and paperwork with the state of New York. They will be taking the next few months to gain a following and work on fundraising for their future productions. Aberle couldn’t reveal any official remarks yet on their first production but did say “we are interested in both doing musicals and plays”. They hope to be fully on their feet and in production within the next year by Spring 2014. They are still in the works for a location to house their productions as well.

And while we were able to talk to Aberle about everything in the short term that Pivotal Productions wants to accomplish, we were lucky enough to talk as well about the future. It’s always nice to meet someone who dreams big and that is exactly what Aberle wants to do with Pivotal. In the future, he mentions items such as building a theatre site somewhere on the island, having multiple venues or even creating a “theatre hub” here on Staten Island. A place where people would be able to eat dinner, enjoy entertainment before the show, attend a production and maybe have a drink after as well. Aberle admits this is all 20 plus years away but hey, why not dream?

Pivotal Productions to host an official launch party here in Staten Island very soon for their new organization! While no details have been revealed at this time, Luner on Theatre will be sure to announce this event once we know about it! Pivotal Productions has no official website yet but one is in the works! For the time being, you can follow Pivotal Productions on Facebook and on Twitter as well! Luner on Theatre will continue to bring you more news on Pivotal Productions as it unfolds. Be sure to check Luner on Theatre on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter as well! We are constantly updating these pages with information! And of course, check out the rest of Luner on Theatre for all your theatre news you don’t only need but want to know and so much more!

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Luner on Theatre was a blog created for the sole purpose of being a forum for theatre discussion on the Internet and social networking sites. Luner on Theatre is not only a theatre news-reporting site source, but is also a site that works to publish topics that will spark discussion among those working in the theatre industry and the fans that support it.